PLC and Its Different Modes of Communication - Part 1

Abstract - Twenty years back, machines were basic, and work in industries was, generally, manual in nature. Machines were intended to be physically controlled. Today, if individuals search for around them will discover numerous things that have the control frameworks, which are important to compose the perplexing gadgets. The control framework is of essential significance for gadgets and machines in processing plants, aeroplanes, vehicles, and even in some home gadgets. Today, it is hard for individuals to evade the utilization of control frameworks in the workplace. Without mechanized control frameworks, industrial facilities face numerous issues, which would somehow or another be extremely elusive an answer for. Keeping this in mind, The study is an attempt to understand the concept of PLC and its different modes of communication viz-a-viz wired and wireless. Wired communication includes RS485 and Profinet mode, while in Wireless communication IWLAN is used. At present, wired communication is used by MANY MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES. Wired communication is expensive and space-consuming, so the industries should plan to divert themselves into wireless communication to meet the requirements of technological advancement as well as to embark into INDUSTRY 4.0.

I. PLC 

A Programmable Logic Controller or PLC is a PC or machine used for modern mechanization. These controllers can robotize a specific system, machine work, or even an entire creation line. The PLC gets information from related sensors or data contraptions, shapes the data, and triggers yields reliant on pre-modified limits. Contingent on the wellsprings of data and yields, a PLC can screen and record run-time data, for instance, machine effectiveness or working temperature, normally start and stop structures, produce cautions in the event that a machine breakdowns, to say the very least. INPUT=>PLC=>OUTPUT Programmable Logic Controllers are a flexible and robust control solution, adaptable to almost any application.

There are a few key features that set PLCs apart from industrial PCs, microcontrollers, and other industrial control solutions: 
  • I/O – The CPU is the spot the program data is taken care of and arranged any way the information and yield modules are the ones that partner PLC to the rest of the machine; these I/O modules offer information to the CPU and trigger unequivocal results. I/O can be either basic or automated; input contraptions may join sensors, switches, and meters, while yields may fuse moves, lights, valves, and drives. 
  • Communications – despite data and yield devices, a PLC may in like manner need to interface with various kinds of systems; for example, customers ought to convey application data recorded by the PLC to an authoritative control and data acquiring (SCADA) structure, which screens various related devices. PLCs offer an extent of ports and correspondence shows to ensure that the PLC can talk with these various structures. 
  • HMI – So as to speak with the PLC consistently, customers need an HMI or Human Machine Interface. These director interfaces can be clear introductions, with a book readout and keypad, or tremendous touchscreen sheets more like client devices, yet regardless, they enable customers to review and data information to the PLC persistently. 

 CERTAIN FEATURES INCLUDE: - 
  • Low power usage 
  • Human Safety 
  • Small in size 
  • Fast Troubleshooting capability 
  • Easy to maintain 
  • Human Machine Interface 
  • Easy programming 
  • High productivity 
  • Superior quality 

 PLC BASICS 
 Kinds of PLC: 
  • Monoprocessor 
  • Fieldbus association 
 Modular PLC: 
  • Modular development (backplane) 
  • One- or multiprocessor framework 
  • Fieldbus and LAN association 
  Soft-PLC: 
  • Windows NT or CE-based robotisation products 
  • Direct utilization of CPU or co-processors 

 CLASSIFICATION BASED ON SPEED AND SIZE. 
  • Small – 128 I/O, 2Kb 
  • Medium – 2048 I/O, 32Kb 
  • Large – 8192 I/O, 750Kb 

 HARDWARE

 Chassis/Rack- Divided into Two type9 slots and 18 slots. 

Further, the Rack is classified into Active Backplane – 

Used in S7-400 Passive Backplane – Used in S7-300 

 Power Supply: 220VAC UPS or Battery for RAM 

 Modes – Programming mode, stop mode, run mode, Reset mode 

 Signal Modules – 

INPUT- Digital (Pushbutton, Emergency Proximity) Analog (Thermocouple, Flow pressure transmitter) Variable Frequency (Encoder, Strain Gauge, Flowmeter) 

OUTPUT- Digital (Lamp, LED, Solenoid valves) Analog (Servo valve, Drives) 

 Communication – HMI, Drives, PLC, Third Party

Communication Protocols: - 

  • Multipoint Interface- 32 nodes, Speed- 187.5Kbps. 
  • Profibus DP- 126 nodes, Speed- 1.5Mbps to 12Mbps. 
  • Industrial Ethernet- 1024 nodes, Speed- 100Mbps.

 PROGRAMMING 

Ladder Diagram (Commonly Used) 

Statement list (Least Memory in CPU) 

Function Block Diagram

 RACK CONNECTIONS 

  • Slot 1- Power Supply 
  • Slot 2- CPU 
  • Slot 3 – Interface Module or Empty in S7-300 
  • Slot 4 – Signal or Function 

 PROGRAM STRUCTURE 

For S7 PLC – Comprises of Organisation Block (OB1), Functions (FC1), Function Block (FB4), Data Block (DB4) and System Block (SFC, SFB, SDB). 

 ORGANISATION BLOCK (OB) DETAILS 

The Organisation Block1 is automatically called for S7- OB- 30 to 38 (cyclic interpretation). 

Error OB- 80 to 87, OB- 121-122 Hardware Interruption OB- 40 to 47 Time Delay OB- 20 to 23 and OB-10 to 17

 INSTRUCTIONS IN PLC INCLUDES 

Bit-level- Comprises of Normally open, normally closed, invert power, Midline, reset level, Set, R-S flipflop, S-R flip-flop, negative and positive RLO edge. 

Timer or Counter- On-Delay, Off-Delay, Pulse, set storage, Extend pulses. Counter Types are (Counter ID, Counter Up, Counter Down, set input, reset input, Current value.) 

A comparison like Greater than, lesser than, equal to, greater or equal to and lesser or equal to. 

Conversion 

Mathematical.

 PLCs are used in lots of applications: 

  • Parts-machining 
  • Packaging machines 
  • Material dealing with 
  • Automatic get together 
  • Petrochemical / Chemical 
  • Mining 
  • And by and large, any sort of utility that calls electric controls can utilize a PLC.
 PLC BRANDS
  • ABB  
  • Allen-Bradley 
  • Siemens 
  • Honeywell 
  • Mitsubishi 
  • Yokogawa 
  • Toshiba 
  • General Electric 
  • Omron  
  • Schneider Automation 
  • Reliance 
  • Hitachi 
  • Modicon
At present numerous brands and sorts of PLC are broadly utilized in ventures going from low-end to top of the line. Here are a few brands and sorts of PLC that are broadly utilized in the industry: 

SR NO BRAND SOFTWARE USED TYPE TYPE OF PLC 
1] SIEMENS 
SIMATIC 
MICRO PLC 
MODULAR PLC 1] S7- 200 2] S7- 1200 3] S5- 1150 
2] ALLEN BRADLEY 
RS LOGIX 
LOGIX - 5
LOGIX-500 
LOGIX-5000 
PLC-5, SLC-500 1] CONTROL LOGIX 2] FLEX LOGIX 
3] OMRON 
CX PROGRAMMER 
MICRO PLC 
BASIC PLC 
MODULAR PLC 1] CPMIA 2] CPL 3] CJIM 4] CJIH 
4] SCHNEIDER 
PL-7 
PROWORX 32 
MICRO PLC 
MACHINE 
SMART RELAY 
PROCESS CONTROL MODICON M340 MODICON PREMIUM ZELIO 
5] MITSUBISHI 
MELSOFT SERIES 
COMPACT 
MODULAR 
PROCESS CONTROL 1] MELSEC FX3UG 2] MELSEC FX3G 3] Q SERIES 

In the next part, we will talk about RS 485 Protocol



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